The tour is complete! I cannot believe it. The weekend absolutely flew by and it was definitely one of the best weekends of my life.

I left everything I had out there on the stage in Derry last night. We were being filmed for the DVD so I was doing the performance especially for my mom and dad. We all were. And for ourselves.

It was quite the emotional show/evening for us because we had been on such a high from the previous shows and pure adrenaline that I feel like it was just starting to hit us that this experience was about to come to an end.

I’m not sure about everyone else, but after our second show in Wexford I was feeling so good about the show and our group that I felt like I could go touring for months! So the fact that last night was the last time I would be able to perform that particular show with the amazing group of us was pretty emotional and it all hit me just before my first appearance on stage.

So I decided to put all of that out there for everyone to see. I was shouting, woo-ing, smiling, crying and loving life up there.

We all were. The second half of the show in particular was where we really felt Iike we had turned it on and won our audience’s hearts. And it turns out we did because we were greeted with another standing ovation!

What a way to end a tour. We all learned a lot last night. The show was a true test of a dancer’s passion and professionalism and I really felt like we rose to the challenge.

I would be honored to share a stage with any of these dancers again at any point in my life.

I am filled with pride and humility as I sit on the train back to Dublin reflecting on the past two weeks.

Take the Floor is truly a unique experience and I am so glad to have been a part of it.

I will leave you with a few photos from the weekend.

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And I think it is time for my farewell!

Thank you all for reading I hope you have enjoyed it and felt a part of our TTF experience this year! Follow me on tumblr at beesnewgroove.tumblr.com
where I will continue to blog about my dancing adventures! I will also be on WordPress at biancapaigesmith.wordpress.com ! It will be a little something different so keep up with me if you want!

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The show last night was even more unbelievable than the first one! We all had one show under our belts and with a few great pep talks from our biggest fans, Shane, Paula, Michael and Ciara, we were able to step it up a notch!

It’s amazing how much the one night can make a difference. I personally felt even more confident on stage and because of it I really felt like I had given a tailored performance. It wasn’t just the same song and dance that I had rehearsed anymore, it was like I could feel the energy from the crowd and give them a performance they would enjoy. I was so much more focused on my performance last night and I think it actually made me a better dancer.

My friends were there and they LOVED the show. It was so good to see them 🙂 and look at this!

It was great to see them and hear about how much they enjoyed the show. Other dancers’ families were there too and I met a few of them. This experience really does bring people together. It’s unlike no other.

I have to just talk about a special moment from the day yesterday before I head off to get ready for our trip to Derry.

We went around the town (which is so cute) to spread the word about the show. We were handing out flyers and talking to people, a few of whom were already going, and dancing a bit to make some noise. It was so fun!

We all got these really nice Take the Floor shirts sponsored by Nicolas Byrne, too so we looked like a great bunch!

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Then I caught this moment on camera… Shane and Paula being lovely :). It was too good not to take a picture of.

Before this whole experience is over, I just want to say: Shane and Paula, your vision for this project has become so successful and I am so so SO pleased that it has because I am so honored and proud to be a part of it. Take the Floor has changed my life and I can’t thank you enough. You are both inspirational and amazing to work with. I hope we have made you proud. Thank you for believing in me and choosing me!

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We had an amaaaaazing show lastnight! It was absolutely unbelievable! There seemed to be a lot of stress and maybe even a little bit of panic with our nerves as we went through the dress rehearsal but once the crowd was let in and we just left it all out there on the floor!

The feeling of being on that stage and performing in front of a crowd is unlike no other! We gave an amazing performance and the audience was loving it! They were such a great group and all the cheering and clapping got us even more excited.

It was one of the best days of my life so far and I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one saying that!

We got a STANDING OVATION at the end! And pre-show pep talks from Lord of the Dance’s Bernadette Flynn and Damian O’Kane. How lucky are we?!

The show flew by! It went so quickly I couldn’t believe it when it was already over. Every number was followed by cheers and screams and the biggest smiles on our faces as we ran backstage for the next number.

After the show we walked straight out to greet families and there were tons of people with their kids waiting to talk to us and get photos with us. It was a dream really. Little girls were coming up to me asking for photos and even to take a selfie! Can you believe that?

It was an amazing feeling. Kind of like being a celebrity in a way! My aunt, uncle and little cousins came to the show last night and it was so great to see them. They all enjoyed the show and got tons of pictures with me and some of the lads! They got a kick out of that, it was so cute.

We also had a cast party at the Pavillion which was really fun. It was nice to celebrate a great show and talk to people about how much they enjoyed it.

It was an amazing night and now we are en route to show two! I am expecting a special group of people tonight so I am extremely excited for the show.

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We are about to do a run through with the world-famous Beoga! This is so exciting for us because we will get to see all of the music come to life! It will give us a real taste of what is to come this evening 🙂